The Law Offices of Michael R. Meaux, LLC

03/25/2025

This 564 square feet Apartment home has 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom. It is located at 4285 S Salida Way UNIT 5, Aurora, CO.

12/31/2024

It's the end of the old year, and the beginning of a new one. One of your New Year's resolutions should absolutely be to get your estate documents in order.

Some of you may know my dad passed on December 23, 2024. I made sure he had estate documents done years ago, and I'm glad I insisted (hounded; harassed). We did it right: his estate will skip probate, meaning we won't need to spend months making sure we please the court system, and we won't need to spend money on court costs, publication fees, or anything else.

Give a gift to your family in 2025, and get your estate documents done. It'll save everyone time, money, and heartache down the road.

I'll be back in the office on January 7, so contact me to discuss options and packages that will work for you.

10/21/2024

As the holidays approach, you should give some consideration about estate documents. It's a gift for the entire family.

First, powers of attorney are included in the package. These are probably the most important documents people don't know to have. They nominate someone to handle your medical and financial affairs in case something happens to you. This could be anything from unconsciousness after surgery all the way to an unthinkable accident. Without this document, it requires loved ones to unnecessarily open Guardian or Conservator cases to handle these decisions, and these cases take time and money that don't need to be spent.

Likewise, having a valid will saves time and money by avoiding a formal probate process, which takes longer, costs more, and requires considerably more paperwork to both open and close. It ensures more of your property stays with your family or beneficiaries, where it belongs, rather than to lawyers and courts in a formal probate process.

Contact me to discuss more reasons why everyone should have valid and updated estate documents, and which of my packages may be right for you.

07/30/2024

Prince. The Artist Formerly Known As. His Purpleness.

Yes, that Prince. Arguably one of the greatest musicians in generations. A massive back catalog of unreleased recordings; multiple platinum records; a massively valued estate in excess of $150 million.

But when Prince died in 2016 (the day the music really died), he did so with no will, no trust, no estate documents of any kind.

So, unsurprisingly, the Purple Probate was a complete circus. At least 45 claims against the estate with varying degrees of validity, and six (yes, six!) years, and likely hundreds of thousands of dollars later, the estate was finally settled.

It could have been so much easier. So much quicker. So less expensive. Had Prince made the simple and painless decision to get some estate documents drafted.

Not everyone has an estate worth $156 million. But that's no excuse not to get some estate documents done. It's never too early to ensure a smooth and inexpensive transition of your estate.

A judge on signed off on a deal to end the long court battle over Prince’s $156 million estate, six years after the iconic rocker died.

07/09/2024

To all of you who've said "I really need to get my will done," what's keeping you?

07/08/2024

I'll be starting a new RA treatment today, so the office will be closed so I can see how I react to the new meds. I thank everyone for their patience, and apologize in advance for any inconvenience.

06/02/2024

If anyone has NFA items they'd like in a trust, I can do that.

05/13/2024

School's wrapping up for the year, and people start getting vacations on the brain. For many, this means travel: sometimes by car, sometimes by plane, and sometimes by tramp steamer (I always wanted to travel by tramp steamer).

Make sure you and your family are better protected from the unknown and the unthinkable. Get your wills, powers of attorney, and living wills done before you head out for the summer. Better to be prepared and not need the documents than be out of town and need them.

I'd be happy to discuss options and answer any questions, so contact me and we can set something up to go over your options. 303-906-5518.

04/09/2024

I harp constantly about how and why you need a will and powers of attorney (and those of you who want to get them done, do it as soon as you can).

But today, I'm harping on why a Living Will, otherwise known as An Advanced Directive for Surgical and Medical Treatment, is just as important.

Remember Terri Schiavo? Probably not. The case was a long time ago, so a lot of people don't remember the case. Have a read: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terri_Schiavo_case

This poor family spent what was likely tens of thousands of dollars (or more) to fight the case through both state and federal courts.

Worse, the emotional costs of the litigation were likely far worse. Lawsuits are, on a good day, stressful. When dealing with the subject matter the Schiavo case had to deal with, it was no doubt beyond merely stressful, and tore a family apart.

So, if you get an estate document package done, make sure to have a Living Will done as well. It ensures your wishes are known, avoids the ongoing heartbreak that the Schiavo family had to endure, and ensures that your decisions aren't made for you by a judge you've never met and who doesn't know you.

The Terri Schiavo case was a series of court and legislative actions in the United States from 1998 to 2005, regarding the care of Theresa Marie Schiavo (born Schindler) (/ˈʃaɪvoʊ/; December 3, 1963 – March 31, 2005), a woman in an irreversible persistent vegetative state. Schiavo's husband an...

03/27/2024

02/14/2024

Divorce and estate documents: Two things no one wants to discuss. But they, unfortunately, have a nexus.

If you're divorced and have kids under 19, it's even more important to get estate documents done than if you were just single. In addition to the change in legal status affecting your medical records, medical decision making, financial activities, and the statutory priority of Personal Representative, there's also the issue of supporting your children should something happen to you.

Do you trust your ex? What happens to your kids' inheritance? If you don't plan properly, there's no protection from your ex getting, or mis-spending what should have gone to your kids. None. This is a huge problem for a lot of people who've gone through a divorce.

Make sure you set your will up properly to ensure the inheritance goes exactly where it's supposed to go.

02/13/2024

Laissez les bons temps rouler!